Profile
John Hagan
020 7002 7636
John co-founded Harris Hagan with Julian Harris in May 2004.
Specialising in all aspects of online and land-based gambling law, and with over 20 years’ of gambling law experience, John is recognised as a leading gambling lawyer by operators, suppliers and regulators throughout the world. He advises many of the world’s largest land-based and online gambling businesses (B2C and B2B), as well as many start-ups, investors and leading law firms. John has extensive gambling legal, regulatory and licensing experience advising on legal classification, non-remote and remote operating licence applications, casino competitions and premises licensing, personal applications, change of corporate control applications, transaction due diligence, corporate investments and transactions, complex group restructuring and the rationalisation of group licences. He also has extensive compliance and enforcement experience advising on general compliance and reporting requirements, compliance assessments, regulatory investigations, corporate evaluations, operating and personal licence reviews, and developing associated remedial compliance programmes and action plans.
In his spare time, John enjoys golf, rugby, football and chess.
University College Dublin, 1989
Law Society of England & Wales, 1993
Band 1, Chambers UK 2025
Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 2025
Band 1, Chambers UK 2024
Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 2024
Band 1, Chambers UK 2023
Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 2023
Band 1, Chambers UK 2022
Band 1, Chambers Global 2022
Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 2022
Band 1, Chambers Global 2021
Band 1, Chambers UK 2021
Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 2021
Band 1, Chambers UK 2020
Band 1, Chambers Global 2020
Leading Individual, The Legal 500 2020
Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 2020
“What John brings to any deal is a deep technical expertise and broad understanding of market practices. This enables him to provide sage and commercial advice on any complex matter.” Chambers UK 2025
“John Hagan’s advice is well regarded and ensures that the final product is of the highest standard. He is very easy to work with and flexible to client needs.” Chambers UK 2025
“John Hagan is first-class. He is one of the most experienced and impressive gaming lawyers.” Chambers UK 2025
“John Hagan is the most prominent UK gaming lawyer and is a widely known and respected figure in our industry.” The Legal 500 2025
“John is clearly one of the top legal minds in our industry.” Chambers UK 2024
“John Hagan, Julian Harris and Bahar Alaeddini are prominent leaders in the gaming law field.” The Legal 500 2024
“John is extremely well versed in handling complex issues and is dedicated to his clients.” Chambers UK 2024
“John is the go-to person for reliable, practical and sensible advice. He has vast experience across the gambling sector and is able to draw on this to support our business.” Chambers UK 2024
“He brings enormous experience and first-rate advice to the table.” Chambers UK 2023
“We work with Bahar Alaeddini and John Hagan. It is longstanding cooperation which we value very much. Great industry insight. Super legal solutions and very service minded. You trust the advice you get and it is a pleasure to work with both. At the same time you get value for money.” The Legal 500 2023
“extremely deep knowledge and real understanding of client challenges with regulators”. Chambers UK 2022
“John Hagan has been fantastic. He clearly knows the regulations, expectation and processes and can clearly communicate the requirements.” Chambers UK 2022
“He is one of the best: a tremendous lawyer with an impressive knowledge of regulation.” Chambers UK 2022
“modern mind and ability to understand what the operators want.” Chambers Global 2022
“he knows the regulatory law inside out and is extremely well respected by everyone.” Chambers Global 2022
UK-based John Hagan is praised “absolutely excellent” by market sources. Chambers Global 2022
He is well regarded for his significant expertise in advising an array of leading gaming and gambling clients on complex regulatory matters. Chambers Global 2022
“…with over 20 years’ of gambling law experience, John is recognised as a leading gambling lawyer by operators, suppliers and regulators throughout the world.” The Legal 500 2022
“Julian Harris and John Hagan are considered as top professionals and their experience in this sector is simply unparalleled.” The Legal 500 2022
“John Hagan and Bahar Alaeddini are very good lawyers with a remarkable knowledge of the gaming and gambling market, as well as operators, platforms and payment providers and affiliates. They have an impressive international network. They both have a great sense of humour and keep a clear mind in situations with a lot of pressure.” The Legal 500 2022
John Hagan is a highly regarded UK-based practitioner, recognised for this extensive experience advising on a wide range of international gaming and gambling matters. Impressed market source remark: “He is very eloquent and does a fantastic job being an advocate through the industry.” Chambers Global 2021
“he knows the regulatory law inside out and is extremely well respected by everyone.” Chambers UK 2021
“Excellent reputation in the industry.” Chambers UK 2020
John is recognised by The Legal 500 as having“unparalleled” industry knowledge, and gives “clear, concise and actionable advice”. The Legal 500 2021
“Extremely deep knowledge and real understanding of client challenges with regulators” Chambers Global 2020
Sources commend his “modern mind and ability to understand what the operators want,” with others stating that “he knows the regulatory law inside out and is extremely well respected by everyone.” Chambers Global 2020
“Astute” The Legal 500 2020
“Sources underline his expertise in gambling regulations and his advocacy skills, as well as his immersion in the industry.” Chambers 2019
“Sources underline his “expertise in gambling regulations and his advocacy skills, as well as his immersion in the industry.” Chambers UK 2019
“The leading gaming industry legal practitioner active today,” adding: “He’s patient, calm, focused and efficient.” Chambers UK 2018
“John is able to provide concise, pragmatic and commercially driven advice, delivering solutions, not just legal commentary.” Chambers UK 2017
“His breadth of knowledge and experience in the industry is a real asset.” Chambers UK 2017
International Association of Gaming Advisors (President 2019-20)
Charitable work
Former Trustee of GamCare (2022-2024)
GamCare (Deputy Chairman, 2006-2022)
Industry Group for Responsible Gambling (Chairman 2016-2020)